Line tightener



R. MC D. PYLES LINE TIGHTENER Feb. 7, 1933.

Filed Nov. 24, 1931 Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED sraras;

11m-Err ion-ICE 'A ROBERT MCDONALD PYLns,or".ialixnnsrnnnanunciante,nssreivononderin-imm?V y To JAMES A.KAMMERDINER; or Los-ANGELES, cALrronNIA i 'LINETIGHTEN-sn Appneatmnfmearmenuter 24, 19in. vserial Na5771,01241,'`

This invention relates to a device fortightening lines which are beingwound uponV drums or reels. It has utility in such appa-V ratusv whereina heavy load is placed on theV line in unwinding and a lightloadonjwinding, the line -being 'alternately wound andA unwound on the drum.Under such conditions, the line when wound on the drum wil-l' be looseand with a plurality of layers of line, the feeding end of the lineunder load in many instances may squeeze itself between the underlyingconvolutions and cause kinking, rasping, flattening or a-brading of thee drum or reel structure known in the art as a draw works. Thisstructure includes a drum upon which a cable isV wound.,V The cable ispassed over a crown block andv through a traveling block. Drill pipe andthe like are lowered and pulled from -thewell hole by aid ofthe drawworks and cable. The

sand feet long and is of great weight.' This string is elevated byreeling the Vcable on the drum. vWhen a stand-ot pipe consisting of anumber of sections of pipe has been drawn out of the well hole, thestring is supportedV inthe'liole by independent means such as slipsmounted on the rotary table. The stand .of pipe is unscrewed from thevstring and disposed in a suitable place in thederrick. Next, theelevator is lowered and the operation repeated until the desired lengthof drill pipe has been withdrawn from the hole. At each lowering of thecable, the load thereon is relieved of the weight of the drill pipestring and at each raising of the cable the load of the entire string isplaced on the cable. The result is that the cable spools loosely on thedrum in winding, and in un-` winding excessive wear and injury to thecable occurs due to the cable squeezing between convolutions.

a line tightener Iautomatically operated by the line to place a load4thereon when winding` up and torelease whenl unwinding.V

more 'specific object'of this invention is to provide a tightener o'kthe character `describedwhichanay be mounted in ay stationary positionand comprisesa slipper through which the line isv passed, the slipperhaving jaws which Iare collapsed uponthe line by travel of the slipper.i i

These objects,together with `other objects and correspon-dingaccomplishments, are attained by means' ofthe embodiment of my inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawing, inrwhich':

Fig. 1 1s an elevation of a derric'kvwith theessential elements of thestructure ap-v plying'to the invention as shown; Fig. 2 is 'a face view,partly iny section, .of the lino tightener;-Fig. Sis a section as seenon the line 3-3Jof AFig. 2. ,Y

Referring particularly` to the drawin a conventional typeoi derrick isindicate by.

5 and is provided with a crown block over which l`a cable 7 is passed.This cable is wound 'upon a drum 8. Thev construction just described isthat of the rotary oil Well drill'- ing outfit commonly employed.Mounted on the derrick posts and between adjacent posts is thelinetightener 9.y

`The line tightener comprisesa frame 1,0 f

having slip members 10aof'like construction and sidep'lates 10b boltedthereto. There is al cable opening extending longitudinally through thetrame.-V The slip members 10a have slide faces which are inclineddownwardlytow'ard one another. Mounted in the frame is a slipper`comprising a jaw 11 and an opposing jaw 12.'y There is anoverhanging'projection 18 onthe javv 12 and an underhangngprojection-14Cy withthe jaw slidably mounted between the projectionsferV lateral movement. The jaws are recessedon their opposing faces, andmounted in the re- V the slipper is at the top of the frame the jaws arein expanded relation and the cable may pass between the rollers withoutinterference. When the slipper is at the bottom of the frame, the awswill be contracted or collapsed and the rollers will bear against thecable so that the latter must weave therebetween. Since the cable iscommonly a wire cable and has stiffness, this causes impedance to themovement of the cable. The frame is supported by tie rods 17 on thecorner posts of the derrick and near the crown block, so that there isrelatively small side movement as the line passes from one .end of thedrum 8 to the other in reeling and unreeling.

In ,operation of the device, the load is placed on the cable as itunreels and the slipper would be carried or urged to the top of theframe by the action of the cable on the aw rollers. Gravity tends tomove the slipper` downwardly, and in reeling up the-cable the Vslipperwould be dragged downwardly and collapsed so as to firmly ,grip thecable and place an effective load thereon. Thus, the

- action is automatic.

What I claim is:

1. A line tightener for aline spooling drum wherein the load on the lineis relieved in winding of the line thereon: said tightener .comprising aframe, a slipper slidable longi-. tudinally in said frame, said slipperincluding opposed jaws for grasping, pressing Vand permit-ting travel ofthe line therebetween in both directions and having means coacting rwith said frame to collapse said jaws at one end of said frame and toenable opening .of said jaws at the other end, projecting means on saidjaws to define a sinuous path for said line, saidslipper being urgedtoward the col lapsing end of said frame by said line when moving inload relieved direction and toward the jaw opening end-when moving inthe op-v posite direction. Y v

2. A line tightener for a linespooling drum .i wherein the load on theline is relieved in winding of the line thereon: said tightenercomprising a frame, a slipper 4slidable longitudinally` in said frame,said slipper in.- cluding opposed jaws having means coacting with vsaidframe tocollapse said jaws at one end of said frame and to enableopening of said jaws at the other end, rollers journalled on said jawsand disposed in staggered relation to grasp, press and hold the line inweaving position therebetween, said slipper being urged toward thecollapsing end of said frame by said line when moving in load relieveddirection and toward the jaw opening end when moving in the oppositedirection. 3. A line tightener for a line spooling drum wherein the loadon the line is relieved in 'path for said line, said slipper being urgedtoward the collapsing end of said frame by said line when moving in loadrelieved direc# tion and vtoward the jaw opening end when moving in theopposite direction.

4.' A line tightener for a line spooling drum wherein the load on theline is relieved in winding of the line thereon: said tightenercomprising a frame having opposed slipper ways inclined longitudinallytoward one another, a slipper slidable in said ways, lsaid slipperincluding opposed jaws having meansl coasting with said frame tocollapse said jaws at one end .of `said frame and to enable opening ofsaid jaws at the other end, rollers journalled on said jaws and disposedin staggered relation to grasp, press rand hold the line in weavingposition therebetween, said slipper being urged toward the collapsingend of said frame by rsaid line when moving in load relieved directionand toward the jaw opening end. when moving in the opposite direction.

5, A line tightener for a line spooling drum wherein the load on theline is relieved in winding of the line thereon: said tightenercomprising a frame having opposed slipperv ways inclined longitudinallytoward 4`one la-nother, a slipper slidably longitudinally in said frame,said slipper including opposed jaws for grasping, pressing, andpermitting travel of the line therebetween in both directions, one jawriding on one -way and the other on the opposed way, means coupling saidVjaws for longitudinal `movement tiogether lwherebyto collapse said awsin po sition atone end of said frame and to enable opening of said jawsin position at the other end, projecting means on said jaws to define asinuous path for said line, said slipper being-urged'toward thecollapsing end of said frame by said line when movingV in load relieveddirection and ltoward the jaw opening end when moving in the Aoppositedirection.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 16th day of November, 1931.

ROBERT MCDONALD PYLES.

winding of the line thereon: said tightener

